8-Seed Stuns 9-Seed

It felt like an upset. George Mason coach Jim Larranaga gave a rousing locker room speech to pep up his team before the game that could have been a scene from Hoosiers. However, his pre-game words were no match for Villanova. The Two Coreys combined for 24 points, playing in their potentially final collegiate game, and Larranaga’s Patriots trailed by as many as ten points. His undersized “underdogs” had no answer for Villanova’s 6’10 big man inside, Mouphtaou Yarou, who grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. George Mason took a six-point deficit into the locker room at halftime, when Jim Larranaga mustered up another epic locker room speech in front of the television cameras to inspire his troops and will them to victory.

There were no cameras in the Villanova locker room. We didn’t hear Jay Wright’s pre-game speech, but I’d imagine his halftime speech went something like this: “Alright guys, we have the lead, so let’s hope the score remains the same, and just try to run the clock down to zero. Take nine seconds to walk the ball across half-court, then play hot potato and pass the ball casually around the top of the key for another fifteen seconds. When the shot clock gets down to ten, Fisher or Wayns, one of you can dribble around frenetically then launch a contested fade away jumper at the buzzer. Got that? Good. Now repeat that for twenty minutes and hope for the best.”

Corey Fisher shot 2-7 in the second half. Corey Stokes, 1-8. Maalik Wayns, 0-4. Yarou grabbed just two rebounds. And they were all tough shots. This game wasn’t lost because Stokes missed a baseline jumper. It wasn’t lost because the referees missed a foul call on Maalik Wayns. Or because Luke Hancock hit a clutch 3-pointer. It was lost well before that because of the offensive game plan Jay Wright employed at the start of the second half. I was willing to forgive it in the previous games because of the gluttony of injuries Villanova had suffered; however, all week Jay maintained that his team was finally 100% healthy. And I believe him. Stokes, Fisher, and Yarou were in top form in the first half. If the team played 40 minutes like that, they would have cruised to an easy double-digit win. For whatever reason, Jay decided his best strategy was to try to shorten the game and run the clock down on each possession. I don’t understand it, you’re only making it tougher on yourself trying to score that way. The most frustrating thing is that Villanova did not lose this game because of great George Mason defense, or because the Patriots got lucky shooting the ball, or because Nova played poor defense, or even because the refs blew a call. Villanova lost because they failed miserably to execute on offense, and they have no one to blame but themselves.

Seniors Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, and Antonio Pena had great careers at Villanova, making the NCAA Tournament every year and advancing to a Sweet Sixteen and a Final Four. I feel bad for them that it ended on a sour note, not just because they lost in the first round or because they lost six-straight games. I feel bad for them because they didn’t even get a chance to go down swinging. Like wise veterans, they did what their coach told them to do. Unfortunately, he held them back.

I’m not coming down hard on Jay Wright because I hate him and want him fired. I don’t. I love Jay, which makes this loss hurt all the more. I don’t know what he said at halftime, or what his logic behind the second half offensive strategy was. I do know that he is a better coach than he displayed. He’s proven as much through his impeccable track record over the past decade. I’m not sure what Jay needs to do to get his team to play 40 minutes of Villanova basketball in the future, but maybe he can start by watching sports movies and taking notes from the coaches’ locker room speeches. It worked for Larranaga.

2011 Tournament Preview

Despite losing five in row, seven of their last nine, and ten of their last fifteen games, Villanova has made it into the NCAA Tournament. On top of that, they’re still a single-digit seed (9), and they don’t even have to play in one of the four new play-in games. Best of all, they drew an opponent, George Mason, that they’ve beaten twice in the past three years. This is great news, right?

Not so fast. George Mason (26-6, 16-2 CAA) is the exact type of mid-major team that always seems to give Villanova fits in the NCAA Tournament. One of the biggest reasons for Nova’s recent collapse has been their inability to defend the perimeter. (See: Notre Dame) So I wasn’t pleased to discover that six of Mason’s top seven scorers shoot over 34% from behind the arc, and three of them shoot over 40%. George Mason also has an experienced squad, full of upper classmen. Furthermore, those two victories over the Patriots did not come easy. In 2007-2008 they met in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando (You can read my recap of that game here). With contributions from Malcolm Grant and Casiem Drummond (really?), Nova held on to win that game 84-76. Last season, The Wildcats and Patriots met in a warm location again for another preseason tournament, the Puerto Rico Tip-Off (recap here). That game was even closer, with Nova needing a game-winning 3-pointer from Isaiah Armwood to pull out a 69-68 victory.

Villanova encountered two mid-major schools in las year’s Tournament. Nova needed overtime to beat Robert Morris (73-70), then they fell to St. Mary’s in the second round (75-68). The year before, Nova trailed by 10 at halftime and as many as 14 points to 14-seed American University, before pulling away for a 80-67 win. After that scare from a lowly mid-major school, Nova went on to trounce national powerhouses UCLA and Duke by 20+ points, then beat Pittsburgh to go to the Final Four where they lost to eventual National Champions North Carolina. I don’t know why, perhaps it traces back to the “Perfect Upset” of 1985, but Villanova usually feels more comfortable in the underdog role. Which leads to their difficulty against these small mid-major schools that they are always favored against. Villanova is technically the underdog this year in the 8/9 game versus George Mason. However, in terms of national recognition and historical success, Villanova is Goliath.

So can Villanova win this game? Yes, of course. Villanova could even beat #1-seed Ohio State in the second round, as well as just about any other team in the country when they play to their full potential. The question is will they beat George Mason? Or will they be at the top of their game? Here’s my quote from last year’s win over George Mason: “Corey Fisher got to the line 18 times and sank 14 of them, which helped make up for his poor 1-12 shooting effort from the field. To his credit, he kept driving to the basket, attacking George Mason defenders. Although he missed a lot of shots, I liked the fact that he was aggressive and drove to the basket, rather than just settling for jumpers.” The key to Villanova’s success is Corey Fisher, more specifically his health. If this week off has given Fisher enough time to fully recover from his knee injury, then he can finally get back to the way he normally plays, attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line. Villanova is 7-0 when Fisher attempts 8 or more free throws in a game. The last game Fisher attempted more than eight free throws in a game just so happens to be the last game Villanova won (DePaul). The problem is, as I wrote last week, Fisher’s knee tendentious has caused him to become a jump shooter.

Speaking of injuries, Villanova also needs Moupthtaou Yarou to recover from the hard fall he took in the Big East Tournament. George Mason has some talented 3-point shooters, but they are a small team and don’t have anybody that can guard Mouph inside. I truly believe it was the injuries that ravaged Villanova’s season, and it will be their health that determines Villanova’s fate in the NCAA Tournament. So if they do lose, don’t call for Jay Wright’s head; blame the injury gods.

The Waiting Game

“I’m not even mad… That’s amazing.” That’s how Anchorman Ron Burgundy felt after his dog Baxter ate a whole wheel of cheese and pooped in the refrigerator. I feel the exact same way about Villanova’s late season collapse and their most recent one-point loss to South Florida. I just stared in shock at the way Nova played during that second half at Madison Square Garden. When Maalik Wayns’ potential buzzer beating shot rimmed off the basket, I wasn’t angry, it was more a feeling of awe and confusion. How did this Wildcats team, ranked nationally in the top-10 for much of the season, spiral out of control and end up on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament?

Villanova played like that top-10 team in the first half against the Bulls, taking a 16-point lead into halftime. However, the team that came out of that locker room was the one that has lost five games in a row and is continually finding new ways to lose each night. Some of it is bad luck, like the injury to Mouphtaou Yarou against the worst team possible, the tall athletic front court of South Florida. Or the knee tendentious that has been nagging Corey Fisher for a month. Or the hamstring and turf toe injuries that caused Corey Stokes to miss games. Or the back spasms that plagued Maalik Wayns. Or the knee injury back in January that Dominic Cheek hasn’t played the same since. These injuries are unfortunate, and there’s not a whole lot Jay Wright or anyone else can do about them. Injuries happen. It’s just a simple case of bad luck.

But then there’s the team’s inability to execute down the stretch of close games, which Jay Wright and his players absolutely can control. Villanova shot a perfect 20 for 20 from the free throw line until the final 48 seconds of the game, when they missed the front end of a 1-and-1 TWICE. Then there was the inbounds lob pass thrown up for grabs under the other team’s basket. Then there was the crater-sized opening left in the lane for Anthony Crater to drive to the basket for the winning layup. These are careless mistakes that well-coached, experienced teams should not make.

So where is that experience and leadership to take over at the end of these close games? Well that player is supposed to be preseason Wooden Award finalist, All-Big East 2nd Team player, senior guard and leading scorer, Corey Fisher. And he… WASN’T EVEN ON THE FLOOR FOR THE FINAL SEQUENCE OF THE GAME. This knee injury must be a lot worse than anybody thought it was, that Jay Wright wouldn’t trust his senior leader and all-around best player to get a defensive stop with the game on the line. Fisher put up decent enough stats (15 points, 3 assists), but watching him play, you can tell that something just wasn’t right. At first it simply appeared to be the case of a shooting slump, with 3-16, 1-10, 3-14 performances from the field over the past few games. Then the news came that Fisher was suffering from knee tendentious. But why should a knee injury affect his shooting stroke?

When you look closer, you’ll see that the injury has changed Fisher’s entire style of play. All season long, Fisher got to the free throw line about eight times per game, while taking about four 3-pointers. Over the past month, his free throw attempts and 3-point attempts per game have interchanged. Fisher’s bread and butter is driving to the basket and attacking defenders with his signature “Fisher Price” mid-air acrobatic moves. With the knee injury, he doesn’t have the athleticism to do that anymore, so he is settling for long jumpers, which has never been the strength of his game. Watching Fisher against USF, whenever he drove to the basket, he would dish the ball to avoid contact, rather than trying to draw a foul. The real issue isn’t that Fisher is missing so many 3-pointers (0-8, 0-8, 3-8, 1-8, 1-4), it’s that he’s being forced to attempt that many in the first place. Fisher has made just NINE free throws through this five-game losing streak, an amount that he would easily make in a single game earlier this season. It’s a shame Fisher’s injury had to happen now, when he was in the midst of a fantastic final season, but it’s time we exit the denial phase. Once we the fans, the team, the coaches, and Fisher himself acknowledge that this injury is significant and is having a negative impact on the team, we can begin to try to figure out how to overcome it.

Jay Wright’s system is designed around the point guard. It’s been described as the “take ‘em” offense. He relies on his point guards to run plays and create shots for themselves and others using the dribble drive. This worked great in 2006 when he had four great point guards (Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, Allan Ray, and Mike Nardi), and the team went to the Elite 8. It can even work with just two great point guards (Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher), as we saw two years ago in the run to Final 4. And it worked earlier this season with the combination of Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns. The problem is that now, with Fisher’s injury, the team really only has one and a half point guards, and that one is still just a sophomore. If Villanova does make the NCAA Tournament, Jay Wright will have to fundamentally change his offensive philosophy for the team to have any chance of winning a game. How do you do that?

You can start by taking some notes from the Notre Dame and South Florida playbooks and start setting screens for Corey Stokes on the perimeter. Both teams made an effort through set plays to get open looks for thier sharpshooters, Tim Abromaitis (9-13 3PT vs. Nova) and Shaun Noriega (6-12 3PT vs. Nova). Stokes made 3 of 6 from downtown and scored 16 points in the first half against USF. As Justin Timberlake would say, “Six 3-pointers isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Twelve 3-pointers.” If Jay Wright can figure out a way to get Stokes twelve shots a game from behind the arc, he will likely make at least half of them. Guess how many shots Stokes got off in that atrocious second half collapse against South Florida… ONE… And he missed it. And you wonder why Nova made only four field goals and zero 3-pointers in the second half of that game. With Fisher banged up and Wayns inexperienced, the offense needs to center around the best shooter on the team, Corey Stokes. The good news is Jay Wright has over a week to adjust his system in preparation for the NCAA Tournament, if they are lucky enough to earn a bid.

Which brings us to the ultimate question… Will Villanova make the Big Dance? Fortunately for now, most experts say yes. Nova’s body of work is impressive enough, though losing their last five games will certainly hurt their seeding. Heck, even St. Joe’s alum and ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has the Wildcats still in the Dance, albeit as an 11-seed. Nova appears to be safe for now, but with conference tournaments running throughout the country, you never know what upsets may loom. For now, it’s the waiting game. Villanova will have to sit in anticipation to hear if their name is called on Selection Sunday, and who knows, maybe that will be just enough time for Yarou's face and ribs, Stokes' hamstring and toe, Cheek's knee, Wayns' back, and Fisher's knee to heal. One could hope.

Not Winning

Villanova ended their regular season on a sour note, losing their fourth-straight game to Pittsburgh, 60-50. They finished 10th in the Big East and now find themselves in the unanticipated position of having to play in the first round of the Big East Tournament on Tuesday. The Wildcats have also fallen out of the Top-25 for the first time this season. I hate to make excuses, but-- wait that’s not true, I love making excuses. Here they are:

1. Injuries
Corey Stokes was unavailable for three of Villanova’s losses, including the end of the Rutgers collapse that started this whole mess. Both of Villanova’s losses to Pitt, the Big East’s number one team, were close despite Stokes’ absence. If Stokes was healthy, I think Nova could have at least beaten the Panthers at the Pavilion and who knows what else.

Stokes is vital to this team’s success; however, the knee tendinitis that Corey Fisher has been battling for the past month or so is a more alarming injury. Even though it hasn’t caused him to miss any games, it certainly has effected Fisher’s play. I assumed he was simply going through a bad shooting slump, but an injury makes more sense. Fisher is too good to be having multiple 0-8 games from behind the arc. In hindsight it may have been a better idea for him to sit for a few of those games, but let’s just hope he’s healthy enough going forward.

2. The whole season counts.
We've seen how good this team can be. Don’t forget Villanova had an 11-game winning streak this season, as well as wins over UCLA, Temple, Louisville, Maryland, and Syracuse. Nova should still be a safe bet for the Big Dance, and as long as your at the party, anything can happen on the dance floor.

3. Brutal Schedule
Yeah, four straight losses sounds horrible on paper, but all four were against teams ranked in the Top-25. Meanwhile, teams like BYU and San Diego State go through most of their season without playing any ranked teams besides each other. Aside from that first half against Notre Dame, which I have erased from my memory, Nova has been in every single game this season, which should count for something.

4. One win is all you need...
As DePaul nearly proved, no win is guaranteed in the Big East, but let’s just say Villanova has a good shot at ending their losing streak against the 3-15 Bulls of South Florida. Losing four games in a row can destroy a team’s confidence, but even just one win before the NCAA Tournament might be enough to restore it.

5. Jay Wright’s Secret Weapon
No, not Maalik Wayns (27 points (6-12 3PT vs. Pitt), I’m talking about the Siberian tigers Jay Wright stole from the Philadelphia Zoo. Tiger blood might be just the thing this team needs to start WINNING again.

From Pitt Fall to Beating Hall

Villanova came dangerously close to losing their third-straight game Tuesday night against the Seton Hall Pirates. Last Saturday the Wildcats lost a close hard-fought game (57-54) to Pittsburgh, one of the best teams in the country, which is nothing to hang your head about even though the 46-game Pavilion winning streak came to an end. Ironically, Nova’s win over the Pirates was the more disappointing performance over the past two games. The team’s late-game ineptitude was reminiscent of the Rutgers collapse. Villanova led most of the game against Seton Hall and were up 7 points with 5 minutes to play. However, from that point on, they stopped attacking on offense and "played not to lose" instead of "playing to win". They ran the clock down on each offensive possession, which resulted in rushed turnovers or poor shots trying to beat the buzzer. Jay Wright’s team is at their best when playing at an up-tempo pace and remaining aggressive on offense. Maybe it’s just something about playing in New Jersey and the close proximity to the cast of MTV’s Jersey Shore that makes them lose their minds.

Corey Fisher has been playing fantastic as always, but the problem is he hasn’t been playing enough. He fouled out early against Pitt when the team could have used him on that final possession with a chance to tie the game. Then Fisher was forced to sit on the bench with 4 fouls late in the Seton Hall game. You want him to stay aggressive on offense and defense, but he is the best player on the team and needs to be on the floor when it matters.

Antonio Pena is getting a little too trigger happy with that mid-range jumper. He’s much improved in that department, but he’s not quite as automatic as Dante Cunningham was.
P.S. Dante out-double-doubled Kevin Love against the Timberwolves last Monday, (18 points and 13 rebounds for Cunningham vs. 12 points and 11 rebounds for Love) so I guess that scientifically proves he's a better player.

Maalik Wayns has fallen back into a shooting slump these past few games: 0-6 FG vs. Rutgers, 4-12 FG vs. Pitt, 2-7 FG vs. Seton Hall. Then when he does make a 3-pointer, it’s too late. However, Wayns’ bigger slump has been his ball-handling. He has 13 turnovers in past three games, including an almost-fatal 6 against Seton Hall. He’s one of the fastest players in college basketball, but speed kills, and sometimes he gets out of control.

James Bell stepped up big-time against Seton Hall in the absence of Corey Stokes. 21 points, 7-9 FG, 4-6 3PT, 3-3 FT. Was he wearing a Bayside Tigers shirt under his jersey? Did he make a call on a foot-long cell phone from the bench? Yep, I guess you can say Villanova was “Saved by the Bell”.

Mouphtaou Yarou had a huge game in the loss to Pitt with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks, despite the fact that he missed a wide open dunk. Mouph looked like he was on his way to another big game against Seton Hall after scoring 8 points in the first half, but he was scoreless in just 7 second half minutes.

Isaiah Armwood didn’t shoot any field goals against Pittsburgh, but he did hit one shot, the one to Nasir Robinson’s face. I don’t know whether or not it was intentional, but I kind of hope it was because Robinson deserved it. He’s just another name in a long tradition of dirty Panther players… *cough*cough* Carl Krauser.

Dominic Cheek is the player I thought would step up to fill the shoes of the injured Stokes, but instead Cheek shot 1-7 and 0-5 in the past two games. He hasn’t scored in double figures since January 6, two games before his knee injury. His rebounding numbers have been fine since then, so I don’t know why his shot is so off.

Even with Villanova down a man due to Stokes’ injury, Maurice Sutton’s playing has been dwindling. Sutton has played under 10 minutes for seven-straight games, as Jay Wright has been giving the extra minutes to Armwood and Bell.

Kyle Lowry scored a career-high 36 points Wednesday night to go along with 7 assists and 4 rebounds. A career under-30% 3-point shooter, Lowry hit 6 of 9 threes, improving his season average to 36.4%. It used to be that outside shooting was the only thing holding Kyle back. Now all he has to worry about is the slew of all-star caliber point guards he has to guard every night in the West: Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Steve Nash, Deron Williams, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis, Jason Kidd and...

Finally, congratulations to Randy Foye, who had his #2 jersey retired at the Pavilion last Saturday. Foye was one of my favorite players to watch while I was at Villanova, both on the court and off. It was just five years ago that I was sitting in the same classroom as Randy in Mendel Hall for our marine biology class. Ah, the good ‘ole days, learning about crustaceans and algae. Now he’s making millions of dollars in the NBA and I’m… not.

Best Motion Picture of the Year Nominees

Winter’s Bone
A young girl has to travel through the crystal meth-infested neighborhoods of the Ozark Mountains to find her father. Speaking of tough winter road trips, after a tough loss to a top-10 team at UConn, Villanova had to go up to the Carrier dome to face an even higher ranked top-10 team, then they had to travel to the always raucous Dunkin Donuts Center. Who would have figured that Villanova’s lone win in the 3-game road trip would come against the toughest opponent of the three, #3-ranked Syracuse. However, Nova followed that impressive win with a loss against a Providence team that started out 0-6 in Big East play, though the Friars are a much better team than that poor start would indicate.

Inception
I think Jim Boheim pulled some kind of inception, breaking into our minds and making us think that his Syracuse team was better than it actually is. The Orange started out 18-0, but have now dropped three straight, including a 22-point loss at home to Seton Hall. Or was I just dreaming about that?

The King’s Speech
The story of George VI overcoming a speech impediment to become the king of Britain. Maalik Wayns has seemingly overcome a 3-point shooting impediment that he was struggling with earlier this season to become the “king” of Villanova these past couple of games. Wayns has led the team in scoring in each of the past two games; 21 points (3-7 3pt) vs. Syracuse and 18 points (2-4 3pt) vs. Providence.

Toy Story 3
Fisher Price is one of the best toy companies out there. Fisher Price is also one of the best college point guards out there. However, against the Friars, Vincent Council played more like Fisher Price than Fisher himself. Council had 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, including some impressive alley-oop passes. Meanwhile, Fisher shot 2-10 from the field to score just 7 points.

127 Hours
That’s about how much time Corey Stokes needs to spend practicing shooting. I thought he broke out of his slump for good with that 16 point (4-11 3pt) game against Syracuse, but then he went on to have his worst shooting night… probably ever. 2 of 16 from the field!? 1 of 9 from three!? At least he was perfect from the free throw line, and he grabbed a season-high 9 rebounds. But if he doesn’t improve that shooting stroke, he might have to cut his own arm off.

Black Swan
Maurice Sutton is a white swan who needs to embrace his dark side more often and play like a black swan. He showed he can play tough against Syracuse with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks, but he had just 1 point and 2 rebounds in 9 foul-plagued minutes against Providence. Mouphtaou Yarou is another player who occasionally suffers from “white swan syndrome”. He’s had some stellar games this season, but he’s also had his share of sub-par performances, most recently against Providence (3 points, 2 rebounds, 1-6 FG). Embrace your inner black swans, big guys… just don’t lose your minds in the process.

True Grit
Sutton can learn a thing or two from his teammate Antonio Pena who showed true grit against Providence with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Dominic Cheek also showed some grit, scoring 9 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in just his second game back from his knee injury. I hate to do it, but I have to credit Rick Jackson for his grit as well. He had 16 points and 15 rebounds in the loss to Nova, and he’s been a double-double machine all season.

The Fighter
Like boxers, Scoop Jardine (1-8 FG, 0-3 3pt) and Dion Waiters (2-12 FG, 1-7 3pt) went down swinging-- or shooting-- in their loss to Nova. Marshon Brooks’ Providence team may have won, and he still scored 20 points, but his 0 for 8 three-point shooting performance versus Nova was… interesting. When you’re 0 for 7 on the night, you’d think he would think twice before bricking that eighth three. But no, even when pinned against the ropes, Brooks went down swinging and threw up one last brick.

The Social Network
A story of friends turned enemies over millions of dollars… Just like former Wildcat teammates Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry, who now battle against each other in the NBA with their million dollar contracts. Lowry’s Rockets beat Foye’s Clippers Wednesday night, 96-83, while both players scored 20 points a piece. Foye looks like he’s finally healthy for the first time this season, and he’s stepped into the starting shooting guard role with the injury to Eric Gordon. Even though Randy and Kyle are enemies on the court, they still remain friends on Facebook.

The Kids Are All Right
This movie title sums up the state of Jay Wright’s squad right now. The young Wildcats will continue to have their ups and down throughout the grueling Big East schedule, but ultimately, they’ll be alright.

Huskies Halt Wildcats Win Streak

With 2.5 seconds left in a tie game, Kemba Walker ended Villanova’s winning streak at 11 games, resulting in the Wildcats’ first Big East loss of the season. On the bright side, I’m still a perfect 18-0 in my preseason predictions. If only I had followed through and done some sports betting before the season... Maybe I have some kind of supernatural psychic power, and I doomed Nova by predicting them to lose to the Huskies. In that case, is it too late to change my prediction for the Syracuse game this Saturday?

Also on the bright side, Corey Fisher outscored fellow Bronx native Kemba Walker 28-24. The 28 points were a season-high for Fisher, who also dished out 6 assists. Fisher had an impressive performance in the comeback-win over Maryland as well, when he scored 8 of his 17 points during a 19-0 Villanova run late in the game. When you throw out the inflated early season statistics and focus on conference play, Fisher is right there with Walker in the running for Big East Player of the Year, which is another preseason prediction that I’d gladly be wrong about.

Unfortunately, Nova did lose the game, so there is inevitably a dark side. I knew Corey Stokes’ out of this world shooting would eventually fall back to earth, but I never foresaw a slump this bad. Nova was able to overcome his 4-14 FG and 1-7 3PT shooting day against Maryland, but Stokes’ 0-6 shooting day proved costly in a tight game against UConn. Even the best of shooters are prone to the occasional slump, so Stokes just needs to stay confident in his stroke and shoot his way out of it.

Maalik Wayns was instrumental in the Maryland comeback, scoring 22 points, hitting 7 of 10 field goals and 7 of 9 free throws. Wayns is at his best when he drives to the basket and draws fouls like his mentor Kyle Lowry. However, he only earned one trip to the line against the Huskies and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. Speaking of Lowry, he has remained the Rockets’ starting point guard even after Aaron Brooks returned from injury, and his play hasn’t suffered any drop-off. Lowry tied his season-high with 28 points last week against Chris Paul and the Hornets.

Antonio Pena had 14 points and 10 rebounds against Maryland, his first double-double since December 3, but don’t let that stat fool you. Pena, averaging about 10 points and 7 rebounds, is quietly having a super super-senior season (say that five times fast) for Nova. He had a modest 8 points and 5 rebounds in the loss to UConn, but the more important stat is the 38 minutes that he played in the game (and 39 minutes vs. Maryland). Throughout his career, Pena’s fatal flaw was always his inability to stay on the floor due to foul trouble, but he’s done a fantastic job at avoiding stupid fouls this season. Pena is yet to be disqualified from a game this season after fouling out eight times in 2009-2010. It helps that he is playing alongside a legitimate center in Mouphtaou Yarou, but you can tell that the 24-year-old Pena has grown wiser with his years.

Yarou’s scoring has been sporadic this season, following up his season-high 18 points versus Louisville with 3 points versus Maryland then 8 points versus UConn. However, Mouph must be watching Kevin Love game tape because his rebounding has stayed consistent, grabbing double-digit boards in three straight games. And Yarou must have shared that tape with Isaiah Armwood before the Maryland game because he went on to record a career-high 13 rebounds. Maybe Armwood had some extra motivation playing against his home-state school. Jay Wright has had to lean on Armwood and freshman James Bell more than usual these past two games because of the knee injury that Dominic Cheek suffered against Maryland. The outcome of the UConn game likely would have been a little different if Cheek, a sixth man of the year candidate, was available. Fortunately, the injury isn’t serious, and Cheek should be back soon.

Before I close, one more note for the bright side... At least the 33rd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Dante Cunningham, is having a better NBA career than the 2nd overall pick, Hasheem Thabeet.

Two Coreys Are Better Than Everyone

Villanova is off to an undefeated 4-0 start to Big East play with wins over Rutgers (81-65), South Florida (83-71), Cincinnati (72-61), and Louisville (88-74). The number one reason for the team’s success is Corey. The number two reason is also Corey. Fisher and Stokes are both playing the best basketball of their careers, as they add their names to the list of great senior seasons under Jay Wright. (See: Reynolds, Scottie; Cunningham, Dante; Foye, Randy) It’s pointless to try to say who is the best Corey because they do different things and are equally important.

Both Coreys have been great all season long, but they have each turned it up a notch in the New Year when Big East Conference play began. Stokes is shooting the ball better than anyone in the country not named Jimmer (18.75 points, 54.8% FG, 60.9% 3PT, 93.1% FT in Big East games). Fisher Price is better known for his acrobatic drives to the basket, but recently he has heated up from the outside as well, making him virtually unguardable (17.25 points, 5.25 assists, 50% FG, 50% 3PT, 81.8% FT in Big East games). If he didn’t have such talented teammates, Fisher could probably score 105 points in a real game this season. (That is if you consider DePaul on February 19 a real game.)

Two more of those talented teammates are Maalik Wayns and Mouphtaou Yarou. Wayns has scored at least 15 points in three straight games, but he’s always looking to set up his teammates first and foremost (7.5 assists per game in Big East). The showdown with the Cardinals seemed to be turning into a 3-point shootout, with Louisville hitting 12 of 25 from long-range and Nova making 8 of 13 as well. However, the difference in the game was Yarou, the big man in the middle for Nova, who Louisville had no answer for. Mouph had a career-high 18 points and added a game-high 11 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive glass. If Wayns and Yarou continue playing this well, they might not still be around to join the "Great Villanova Senior Season Club".

Calm Before the Storm

Villanova had a nice two game breather in-between Big 5 games and before the start of the Big East schedule. The opponents were Delaware and Monmouth, and Nova won the games by a combined 59 points. The final game of 2010 will be against Temple, then Nova opens the new year and Big East season against Rutgers.

• Fisher Price delivered some early Christmas presents. He had back-to-back games with at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

• Maalik Wayns has gotten back on track from downtown, hitting 3 of 7 triples in his past two games, after shooting 0 for 11 in the previous four.

• Corey Stokes, on the other hand, has been on track from downtown all year long. Stokes drained five 3-pointers in a game for the third time this season against Monmouth, en route to 19 points.

• Following his recovery from injury, James Bell has had to play himself into game shape, and it looks like he is just about there. He scored 10 points against Delaware, then played a season-high 21 minutes against Monmouth. Now he just needs to hit a game-winning buzzer-beater so I can use the headline “Saved by the Bell”.

• Dallas Ouano recorded his first personal stat of his career; one steal against Monmouth. (We’ll ignore the turnover.)

• Monmouth’s individual scoring in the game against the Wildcats went as follows: 0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. By that pattern, Monmouth would have needed just four more players to beat Villanova.

The Hawk, the Quaker, and the Explorer are Dead

Villanova finished up a three-game sweep against Big 5 schools, including St. Joe’s (71-60), Penn (65-53), and La Salle (84-81). All three opponents proved to be tougher adversaries than expected, especially the scrappy Explorers, who nearly pulled off the upset at the intimate Tom Gola Arena. The only Big 5 opponent remaining on the schedule is Temple, who beat the Wildcats for the city crown last season. The Owls already knocked off Georgetown this year (68-65), prompting a dubious court rushing by their fans.

Villanova’s talented back court is renowned around the country, but the new dynamic duo in the front court has been vital to the team’s recent success. Antonio Pena and Mouphtaou Yarou are like a modern version of San Antonio’s “Twin Towers”, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Neither Wildcat is a 7-footer, but fifth-year senior Pena is a wily veteran like the Admiral, while Yarou is a young big man oozing with potential, just like a young Duncan. Pena’s been dominant over his last four games, averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds. Mouph is already averaging close to a double-double on the season at 8.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, and he will only get better from here. The Spurs’ Twin Towers won two championships together, which is impossible for Nova’s duo to duplicate since Pena is a senior, but I’d settle for “just one”.

Corey Stokes, coming off a career-high 34 points against Penn, is having an Allan Ray-esque offensive season. His numbers are up across the board, averaging 16 points per game, shooting 47% from the field, lighting it up from downtown at 41.8%, and Stokes is virtually automatic from the charity stripe at 95.7%. He can guard multiple positions at 6-foot-5, and Jay Wright has praised Stokes as one of his best defenders. The Bayonne Bomber has come a long way since arriving on campus as a one-trick pony 3-point specialist.

Dominic Cheek has turned into a real spark-plug off the bench for Villanova. Ironically, his worst game, when he scored just four points, came in his lone start of the season, versus Penn. Cheek dropped 14 points against both St. Joe’s and La Salle, and he’s turning into a legitimate threat from behind the arc. He sank four 3-pointers vs. the Explorers, which is valuable because as teams play more zone defense, Nova needs more reliable shooters to pair on the perimeter with Stokes.

Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns’ 3-point accuracy should improve, but thus far they’ve been dreadful at 22% and 14.7% respectively. Both seem to be trying to shoot their way out of their slumps, as Fisher is attempting 4.6 threes per game, and Wayns, 3.8. Fisher has proven he can consistently drain the collegiate 3-pointer, shooting 39.6% last season, so I encourage him to continue taking the open shots. Wayns, on the other hand, should stick to driving to the basket because he’s shooting a much better 63% on 2-pointers.

Other notes:

- There are seven Big East teams currently ranked in the top 25, and this was supposed to be a “down year” for the Big East. I know it’s early, but there are four teams still undefeated and four more with just one loss. They’ll start beating up on each other soon enough.

- JayVaughn Pinkston was suspended for the entire season. That seems fair; he made a mistake and is serving his punishment. Now, the rest of the team can focus on this season, and not have to worry about any distractions surrounding Pinkston’s situation.

- LeBron James’ return to Cleveland garnered a lot of national attention, and he answered with an impressive 38 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Kyle Lowry’s return to Memphis wasn’t as ballyhooed, but he had an equally impressive 28 points, 3 rebounds, and 12 assists. (11-15 FG, 4-5 3PT, 2-2 FT) Lowry is flourishing while Aaron Brooks is sidelined with an injury, averaging about 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists as a starter for Houston. Brooks should be returning shortly, unless there's some kind of Tonya Harding incident.

- Randy Foye has played in just seven games this season for the LA Clippers. You can’t say I didn’t warn you. Then again, if his second year with the Clips is anything like Blake Griffin’s, Foye could be in store for big year in 2012… assuming the world doesn’t end.

- Dante Cunningham doesn’t wow you with his stats (4 pts, 3 reb, 0.5 blk), but he is quietly turning into a solid professional basketball player up in Portland. He is playing about 17 minutes every night, and Coach Nate McMillan gives him that time off the bench because he plays hard all the time.

- Scottie Reynolds is averaging 18 points and 4.6 assists for the Springfield Armor in the NBA D-League. Scottie has to be an upgrade over a some of the current back-up point guards in the NBA. Come on GM’s, what are you waiting for?

Thanksgiving Tweets 2010

This is an updated version of last year's post.

I searched across the far-reaches of the interweb and Twitterland to find out what everybody in the Nova basketball community is thankful for this Thanksgiving.*

Klow7: @AaronBrooks Thanks for faking that injury so I can start.
about 2 hours ago from web


randyfoye: I'm thankful that I have a front-row seat to watch the Blake Griffin Show.
45 minutes ago from TweetDeck


Dante33: Thank God I don't have the injury luck of @Greg_Oden.
about 1 hour ago from web


TimThomas: @sportsguy33 Thanks for the kind words and support from your columns.
about 3 hours ago from web


SReynolds1: @Italy Thanks, but no thanks...
about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck


MouphTheProof: @JamesNaismith Thanks for inventing a game that can take me from Africa to America.
about 1 hour ago from web


BringThePena: Thanks to Strength Coach Lon Record for continuing to make me even more of a beast this year.
about 11 hours ago from web


FisherPrice: Thanks to all the NYC streetballers who taught me my moves. (All 105 of you...)
about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck


DomCheek: @CoachBobHurley Thanks for helping me get to Villanova.
11 minutes ago from web


Stokes24: Thanks to my bro for making these songs.
30 minutes ago from web


MoSutton: Thanks to my family for giving me good basketball genes and a 6'11 frame.
about 2 hours ago from web


iArm34: Thanks @KDthunderup for the high school memories.
about 9 hours ago from web


WaynsWorld: @jameernelson, @Klow7 Thanks for teaching me how to play like a Philly guard, and @FisherPrice and @SReynolds1 for teaching me how to play like a Villanova guard.
about 12 hours ago from web


WootenForNova: Thanks for a blow-out @Lafayette so I could get onto the stat sheet with one rebound.
about 1 hour ago from web


JVPinkston: Thanks to my coaches, my teammates, and all of Nova Nation for supporting me through this tough time.
about 3 hours ago from web

DOuano4: Thank you student section for going wild anytime I touch the ball.
about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

JayWright: @RollieMass Thank you for teaching me everything I know.
28 minutes ago from web


*By searching across the interweb, I meant completely make this up myself.

It's Wayns' World, We're Just Living In It

Villanova is already three games into the 2010-2011 season, and not surprisingly, the Cats are undefeated following wins over Bucknell (68-52), Marist (84-47), and Boston University (82-66). What is surprising is the superb play of sophomore guard Maalik Wayns. Everyone was expecting Wayns to take a leap in production in his second year, but this has been a Grand Canyon sized leap. Maalik’s been the best player on the floor for the Wildcats, which is really saying something considering his backcourt-mate is a preseason top 50 candidate for the Wooden Award, Corey Fisher. Fisher hasn’t scored 105 points yet, but it’s not like he has been disappointing either. After all, Fisher Price is leading the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game.

In the words of Yoda, speaking about Rajon Rondo, “Scoring a great point guard does not make.” Don’t get me wrong, Wayns does plenty of scoring too, averaging a team second-best 14.7 points per game, but it’s his assists (7.3 per game) and rebounding (5.7 per game) that have been most impressive. Wayns looks like a legitimate threat to record Nova’s first triple-double since Jason Fraser’s 22 points, 15 rebounds, 11 broken bones game in 2003. Most recently, Wayns put up a Rondoian stat line of 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 12 assists against BU. Yet unlike Rondo, Wayns can actually shoot too. In three games, Wayns has already made double the amount of 3-pointers (4) that Rondo has made in 11 games this season (2).

It’s not all about statistics, however; just ask the Baseball Writers Association of America. Maalik Wayns has an uncanny ability to control the game with his speed. I’ve never seen a player fly by defenders with such ease, while driving coast to coast for a lay-up. It's natural to want to compare this great Villanova point guard from Philly to the last great Villanova point guard from Philly, Kyle Lowry. Lowry relentlessly went at bigger defenders trying to draw contact when driving to the basket, but Wayns is so fast that he drives past defenders to get to the basket for uncontested lay-ups. Because of his speed, passing, and shooting, Wayns’ game most resembles Ty Lawson of the Denver Nuggets, who just so happens to have an NCAA Championship to his name.

In addition to the dynamic backcourt duo of Fisher and Wayns, the rest of the Wildcats supporting cast has looked good as well. The seniors are doing what we expected of them; Corey Stokes (10.3 ppg) is draining open threes (6 of 18 so far) and Antonio Pena is scoring (10 ppg) and rebounding (7 rpg) in the post. Mouphtaou Yarou still looks raw, but he’s been able to simply overpower smaller opponents with his size, strength, and athleticism, to the tune of 8.3 points, 6 rebounds, and almost 2 blocks per game. The real test will come next week when Nova faces UCLA in the semifinals of the NIT. Dominic Cheek (9 ppg) just might be the Big East Sixth Man of the Year. Cheek scored 15 points off the bench against Marist, and he has displayed a drastically improved jump shot (.444 3P%) so far this season. Maurice Sutton had a monster game against Marist (13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks), but it’s more realistic to expect something closer to the 2 points and 3 rebounds he averaged in the other two games. Sutton had similarly strong games against the smaller mid-major teams early last season, but his production later tailed off during Big East play. Isaiah Armwood’s opportunities are limited (2.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg), but Wayns and Fisher have set him up for some open dunks under the basket, and Armwood knows how to finish strong. With Pinkston sidelined, the team only goes eight deep right now, which is actually a more suitable rotation size than the eleven man carousel of players Jay Wright had to juggle last season. Although, now it is more crucial that these top eight stay healthy all season, and if they do, this team can really go places.

Your 2010-2011 Villanova Wildcats

For the first time in what seems like a decade, Scottie Reynolds will NOT be returning to play basketball for the Villanova Wildcats this season; therefore, in many ways, this marks the beginning of a new era for Jay Wright’s team. Reynolds has been the face of the program for the past four years, and it is unknown who will step up to fill his shoes. (Hopefully it's someone with the same foot size.) Nevertheless, Nova is returning a strong a team this season, so let’s begin by taking a look at the presumed leaders of the team, the class of 2011.

The Seniors

Antonio Pena
2009-10 Stats: 10.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.5 blocks, 57.7 FG%, 69.6 FT%, 24.9 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 19 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists

Pena takes the term “senior” to a whole new level. He’s the same age as me, and I’ve been out of school for three years now. ‘Tone spent two years in prep school then redshirted his first year at Nova, which accounts for why he’s still around at the ripe old age of 24. Pena was a bit inconsistent last season, at times looking like a double-double machine, then completely disappearing in other games. He should have a huge advantage this year, especially in the strength department, playing against kids six years younger than him. Let’s just hope he’s able to stay awake for the late 9 p.m. games.

Corey Fisher
2009-2010 Stats: 13.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 44.7 FG%, 39.6 3P%, 77.0 FT%, 27.0 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 24 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists

Fisher is the odds-on favorite to replace Scottie Reynolds as the leader of this year’s team. He’s spent the past three years playing in Reynolds’ shadow, deferring to the his heralded backcourt-mate, yet never complaining about his role. I was already excited to see what Fisher could do when he was set free and handed the keys to the offense… then I heard about the 105 points he scored in a summer league game, and now I’m ecstatic. I think we are going to see Fisher Price do some special things this season, maybe not score triple digits again, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple of Scottie Reynolds signature 40-point specials.

Corey Stokes
2009-10 Stats: 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.4 blocks, 41.6 FG%, 38.3 3P%, 87.3 FT%, 26.0 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 22 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists

The “other” Corey has settled in nicely to his role of a 3-point sharpshooting specialist who plays defense and rebounds. Don’t expect him to handle to the ball or drive to the basket with grace, but he will play hard and drain threes from just about anywhere on the court. With the losses of Reynolds and Taylor King, Stokes is the only reliable 3-point threat Nova has left, unless you count 50% 3-point shooter Isaiah Armwood. (He was 1-for-2.)

The Sophomores
The ceiling of this year’s team really depends on these next five players. There are three seniors on the team, and for the most part you know what you’re going to get from them. However, there are zero juniors on the team (aside from walk-ons), so one or more of these second year players will need to take a big leap in production this season for the Wildcats to have success.

Isaiah Armwood
2009-10 Stats: 2.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.4 steals, 47.2 FG%, 50.0 3P%, 60.0 FT%, 11.0 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists

Last season Armwood proved he has the athleticism to play at this level, Jay Wright learned that firsthand as Hoops Mania, but he still needs to improve his overall game. His biggest problem is that his arms look like their made out of wood, so he will have to get stronger if Jay Wright wants to play him at power forward in the Big East this season.

Dominic Cheek
2009-10 Stats: 4.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 steals, 45.3 FG%, 31.0 3P%, 65.4 FT%, 13.5 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists

Cheek arrived on campus with a lot of hype as a McDonald’s All-American, but his playing time was limited last season. He has a polished game on both ends of the floor and should be ready to take on a bigger role this season. Cheek’s best game last season came in a return to his native New Jersey when he scored 17 points in a win over Rutgers. Wait, I forgot to throw in a joke. Hmm… Okay. What has two cheeks and smells like shit? … Hey, get your mind out of the gutter! It’s Dominic Cheek’s mouth after a game when he forgot to brush his teeth.

Maurice Sutton
2009-10 Stats: 1.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 0.2 steals, 1.0 blocks, 41.5 FG%, 54.5 FT%, 10.3 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 7 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

Mo is probably the best shot-blocker the team has had since Jason Fraser. He had a season-high five swats against La Salle and four against Robert Morris in the NCAA Tournament. He’s not the best rebounder for his size (6’11) and his offensive game is almost nonexistent, but he can still improve in those areas. Like Armwood, Sutton needs to get on the Jersey Shore routine of GTL to bulk up, although they could probably skip the tanning part.

Maalik Wayns
2009-10 Stats: 6.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals, 43.4 FG%, 31.5 3P%, 81.4 FT%, 15.0 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists

The “Next Great Philly Point Guard”, Wayns, had his ups and downs last season, en route to making the Big East All-Rookie Team. He was an offensive spark off the bench in some games, scoring in double figures nine times, but in another nine games, he was held to under 11 minutes of playing time. With Reynolds’ departure, we will see a lot more of Wayns’ World this season, which is most excellent. Party on, Wayns!

Mouphtaou Yarou
2009-10 Stats: 4.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.2 steals, 1.0 blocks, 58.3 FG%, 70.6 FT%, 15.0 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

Mouph could be the biggest x-factor for this year’s team, but unfortunately he is probably also the biggest question mark. The grade for his freshmen year was an incomplete. He missed eleven games towards the beginning of the year due to hepatitis B, then he had to learn on the fly as he played himself back into game shape later in the year. Not to mention, he’s only been playing the sport of basketball for about six years. If you’re wondering why Nova fans are still drooling over Mouph’s potential, look no further than the stat line from his game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament versus Robert Morris: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 5-6 FG, 7-7 FT. Me: Please God, keep Mouphtaou Yarou healthy for the next three years. God: Which Mouphtaou Yarou? Me: Really?

The Freshmen

James Bell
Bell is a super-athletic 6’5 guard from Orlando, Florida. Unfortunately, he won’t be bringing any magic to this kingdom for quite some time as he recovers from surgery to repair stress fractures in his legs. It is unknown if he will be able to play at all this season.

JayVaughn Pinkston
Pinkston is a 6’7 forward from Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn, the same high school Curtis Sumpter attended. Last year’s New York Player of the Year is pretty much a Sumpter clone: same size, good rebounder, can score inside and also step back to make threes. Hopefully the Sumpter similarities end there and don’t include his injury history. With Pena, Pinkston, and the emergence of Armwood and Yarou, Villanova might actually have a deep and talented front court for the first time during Jay Wright’s tenure... unless I just jinxed it... Dagnabbit!

The Walk-ons

Russell Wooten
Woot is staying at Villanova as a graduate student this year, but he won’t be letting that stop him from using up his NCAA eligibility and suiting up for Jay Wright (not that kind of suit) another year. He seems to have his collegiate priorities straight: 1) Basketball, 2) Girls, 3) Academics.

Dallas Ouano
The newest walk-on hasn’t even played in a game yet, and he’s already gotten more press on ESPN than Jason Colenda did over four years at Nova.
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/15803/villanova-players-wave-goodbye-to-twitter

Big East Honors and Snubs

The Big East has come out with their post-season awards... real awards, not the ones I give out. Let's take a look...

BIG EAST Player of the Year
Wes Johnson, Syracuse

I was hoping Scottie Reynolds would win it, but if there's one player I could understand winning it over Scottie, it's Wesley Johnson. He's the best player on the best team in the conference, and he really does do it all. He leads the Orange in scoring at 15.7 ppg. He leads the team in rebounding at 8.5 rpg, which is especially impressive, considering he is 6'7 and competing for boards with 6'9 Arinze Onaku and 6'9 Rick Jackson on his own team. He averages 2.4 assists per game and almost 2 blocks and 2 steals per game. His shooting percentages are good as well (48.7% FG, 78.6% FT, 38.1% 3PT). The only knock on Wes is his decline in scoring and shooting accuracy over the past few weeks, but he is playing with an injured hand.

In the case of Scottie Reynolds, you have to take into account how much better he has played in Big East games. Wes Johnson was still very good, but his numbers did drop in conference games. Reynolds, on the other hand, improved his scoring to 19.9 ppg, field goal percentage to 50%, 3-point shooting percentage to 42%, and free throw percentage to 84%. After all, this is the BIG EAST Player of the Year Award, not the Big East Player in Non-Conference Games Player of the Year Award. The biggest thing going against Reynolds is his team's poor play to close out the season. Villanova went 4-5 in their last nine games, which included a loss against Syracuse and Wes Johnson. Had Nova finished with a better record over those last nine games, I think it would have swayed some votes in Scottie's favor.

Finally, I know the award is technically only for this season, but you can't help but notice Scottie Reynolds' body of work over his four-year career at Villanova. The key word there being FOUR years. These days in college basketball it's rare to see a player as good as Reynolds stay in school for his senior year. And unlike other seniors who have had great careers (cough-Harangody-cough), Reynolds' Villanova teams have achieved major success. He's been to a Sweet Sixteen, a Final Four, and has made countless big shots along the way. Scottie Reynolds is battle-tested and proven. Is Wes Johnson? No one knows, because he's never been there before. Ironically, Reynolds' success is probably being held against him. He's been so good for so long that opposing fans joke that it seems like he's been in school for six years. People have gotten sick of Scottie, so they move along to look for the next new star. It's the same reason Jordan lost the '97 MVP to Karl Malone. There's no doubt Wesley Johnson is a great player, but it would have been nice to see Scottie Reynolds begin his collegiate career with a Big East Rookie of the Year Award and end it with a Big East Player of the Year Award.



BIG EAST Rookie of the Year
Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati

Stephenson's season was somewhat erratic, but he didn't really have any competition for the award. He has a great handle for his size, and he is so strong that he's almost unstoppable when driving to the basket. It's just a shame that he takes more jumpers than Samuel L. Jackson. Sorry, even I can't believe I just made a reference to a movie that bad.

BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

I tend to believe any coach of the year award should go to the coach on the best team, just on general principle. I can't make an exception here, although Buzz Williams, Jamie Dixon, and Stan Heath all deserve credit for what they accomplished with their respective teams this season. At least Boeheim will never beat Jay Wright in a best looking or best dressed coach of the year award.

BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athletes Of The Year
Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame

"Abromaitis will receive a $2,000 scholarship, which may be applied to graduate or professional studies." That's enough for about 1/4 of one class. How considerate of them.

BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Hamady Ndiaye, Rutgers

Ndiaye averaged 4.5 blocks per game, and he had one 10-block game and two 9-block games. That's impressive and all, but it didn't seem to have much of an effect in the win/loss column. You need to look a little deeper than block and steal numbers to measure defense in basketball. Also is it just me, or do you think of this song every time you see Hamady's name. Warning: if you click that link, you WILL start dancing.

BIG EAST Most Improved Player
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh

Gibbs went from scoring 4.3 points per game in '08-'09, to 16.2 this season. That's certainly a big improvement, but what does this award really mean? Austin Freeman improved (11.4 to 17.3 ppg), and so did Tim Abromaitis (1.7 to 17.2 ppg), Jamine Peterson (4.7 to 19.6 ppg), Kevin Jones (6.3 to 13.5 ppg), Gavin Edwards (3.8 to 10.7 ppg), Kris Joseph (3.4 to 11 ppg) and Antonio Pena (5.1 to 10.8 ppg). What's the real criteria here? Whoever sucked the most the year before?

BIG EAST Sixth Man Award
Kris Joseph, Syracuse

Another bogus award. I'm glad Corey Fisher won it last year, but in most cases, like Manu Ginobili with the Spurs and even Fisher last year, the sixth man is actually better than the fifth man on their own team, and the only reason they come off the bench is because of some quirky coaching strategy that may or may not work.

BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award
Tory Jackson, Notre Dame

And I thought the other awards were contrived and pointless.

ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
Greg Monroe, Georgetown
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Dominique Jones, USF
Wes Johnson, Syracuse
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia

No complaints here. See above for my thoughts on Wes and Scottie. I love a center who can dish out 12 assists in a game (Monroe). Butler and Jones can go off for 30+ points any night. And as much as it pains me to see Gody's name here, 23 points and 10 rebounds every night is pretty darn impressive.

ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Austin Freeman, Georgetown
Lazar Hayward, Marquette
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
Andy Rautins, Syracuse

You gotta love Hazell, a classic chucker like Costanza. He has attempted over 10 3-pointers in a game 15 times this season, highlighted by a 4-19 shooting performance from behind the arc when he scored 41 points against West Virginia.

ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM
Jerome Dyson, Connecticut
Kemba Walker, Connecticut
Samardo Samuels, Louisville
Corey Fisher, Villanova
Devin Ebanks, West Virginia

If Fisher didn't make Third Team, I would have had to make a personal visit to the houses of some Big East coaches to straighten them out. Scottie gets all the publicity, but Fisher has been just as valuable to Nova's success this year. Also, can we retract Dyson's name after that stink bomb of a game he had against St. John's? (4 points, 9 turnovers)

BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION
Jimmy Butler, Marquette
Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame
Jamine Peterson, Providence

Why only three honorable mentions? What about Chris Wright, Mike Rosario, Mac Koshwal, DJ Kennedy, Will Walker, Sharaud Curry, and Edgar Sosa? Check that, the last word I would use to describe Edgar Sosa is honorable.

BIG EAST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati
Alex Oriakhi, Connecticut
Vincent Council, Providence
Dane Miller, Rutgers
Brandon Triche, Syracuse
Maalik Wayns, Villanova

Congrats to Maalik. And you thought I was lying when I said Lance had no competition for Rookie of the Year. Oriakhi averaged under 5 points per game and made the all-rookie team.